William Gerald "Earthquake" Smith (October 23, 1926 – September 6, 2009) was an American football player who played at the tackle and end positions. A native of Lexington, North Carolina, he attended Lexington High School. He played college football for North Carolina in 1944 and 1947.[1][2][3] He served in the military during World War II. He was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the third round (23rd overall pick) of the 1948 NFL draft. He did not play for the Cardinals, opting instead to play in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Chicago Rockets and Los Angeles Dons during the 1948 season. He appeared in two games for the Rockets and 10 or 11 games for the Dons.[1][4]
References
- ^ a b "Bill Smith". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ Stuart McIver (November 27, 1944). "Star Of Duke-Carolina Battle -- A Man Named Smith". The Charlotte News. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bill "Earthquake" Smith Gets Appointment To West Point". The Daily Tar Heel. December 16, 1944. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bill Smith Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 2024-04-02.